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Mike Gordon Debuts Leo Kottke and Jon Cleary Covers

Mike Gordon kicked off a West Coast winter run with his solo band at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre on Friday. The quintet focused mostly on material from their recent studio project, OGOGO, also weaving in a number of covers and tunes from Gordon’s catalog. In addition, the outfit offered their take on the old-school Phish song “Destiny Unbound,” which Gordon debuted earlier this year after testing out the once-rare song during a rehearsal webcast. Like Gordon’s first take on the tune at St. Petersburg, FL’s Vinoy Park as part of the Sunshine Music Festival last month, the group teased Wings’ “Live and Let Die” during “Destiny” on Friday.

During Friday’s show, Gordon also unearthed two new covers. A few songs into his first set, and with Mardi Gras weekend in full swing, the band jumped into Jon Cleary & Absolute Monster Gentlemen’s “Got to Be More Careful.” (The New Orleans outfit recorded the song on 2004’s Pin Your Spin.) During their second set, the five-piece ensemble tested out the Leo Kottke original “Noon to Noon,” which Gordon said the acoustic guitarist gave permission for him to play with his group.